Starships Lands At VPAC

The venerable San Francisco band behind some of the 20th century’s biggest pop and rock anthems returns to Beaver Creek this month. The Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) welcomes Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas to the stage on Tuesday, December 26 at 7:30 PM. Mickey Thomas’s soaring, soulful vocals propelled Starship through the ‘80s and ‘90s, and he remains one of rock’s most recognizable stars. Tickets for the show are $88 and are available now at the VPAC box office (970-845-8497; www.vilarpac.org). The VPAC is located under the ice rink in Beaver Creek Village (68 Avondale Lane, Beaver Creek, Colorado).

Over the years, Starship has remained a popular draw for old and new fans alike.

“It’s a real wide generation of fans out there,” Thomas said. “I’ve seen 12-year-olds, 65-year-olds, and everyone in between.”

Thomas made his mark in 1976 as lead vocalist on the mega-hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” with The Elvin Bishop Band. In 1979, Thomas joined Jefferson Starship as lead vocalist, after the departure of Grace Slick and Marty Balin.

Backed by the power of Thomas’s vocals, Jefferson Starship immediately scored a No. 1 hit with “Jane.” With its new sound and powerful new vocals, the group was renamed Starship and continued to record an amazing string of hits, including “No Way Out,” “We Built This City,” “Sara,” and the Oscar-nominated “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from the movie “Mannequin.” Other top hits included “Find Your Way Back,” “Stranger,” “Laying It On The Line,” and “It’s Not Over (Till It’s Over),” which became Major League Baseball’s theme in 1987. Moreover, every Starship album released since 1979 has gone Gold, Platinum, or Multi-Platinum. Starship music is featured in the soundtracks for “Rock of Ages,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Skeleton Twins,” and most recently on the popular TV series “Glee.”